Ramona brought Tumtum and Nutmeg* home from the library. Illustrations like that always make me want to live in the curve of a hollowed out tree, or in a cozy cave (preferably spelled cosy), or on a charming white cliff (that somehow miraculously has wi-fi.)
Betsy is deeply into Jane Austen. Her pulse quickened when I came home from that used book sale with a set of the complete novels (although I'm pretty sure we already have each one of those books lying around here in some form. But there's just something about a used, complete set that's in good condition. A set of one's own is such an agreeable thing.) She recently ordered a Mr. Darcy mug. She says things like, "Heaven and earth -- of what are you thinking? Are the shades of Pemberley to be thus polluted?!"
[Updated to note: Betsy also just read Jane Austen: A Life Revealed and enjoyed it quite a bit.]
Anne-with-an-e is deeply into her classes and her job. The other day they got to listen to a little Dave Brubeck in class. Lucky girl. (Though Ramona would not be envious. Atticus has been on a huge jazz kick for some time and Ramona has tired of his hip, jazzy ways.) In Anne's spare time, she's catching up with some stuff in one of her favorite genres: dystopic fiction. She just read Gathering Blue, which she's been meaning to pick up for a long time now, and she has a stack of other stuff with names I can't remember. She's started writing her own dystopic novel, too.
Atticus has been reading Hilary Mantel. He had to return Bring Up the Bodies (about Anne Boleyn) to the library before he'd had time to finish it, but he told me, "It's okay. I know how it ends." (Or perhaps he meant, "I know how she ends.")
[Updated to note: Atticus corrects -- it's about Thomas Cromwell.]
I just read a biography of Kenneth Clark (fascinating stuff) and The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh.** Love. Highly recommend. Passing it on to my teens.
~ Ramona has been:
busy making a produce stand for her American Girl doll. Last night I found this sign in my bedroom:
Local Farmers Market Opening Soon.
Date Unsure.
Produce and Flowers!
~ Schooly stuff:
starts next week.
I think.
We'll see.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
* Thanks, Sean Herriott, for recommending it.
** Thanks, Danae, for recommending it.
5 comments:
The Language of Flowers is an amazing book. Amazing. Haunting; so beautifully written; heartbreaking. (I read it earlier this year, wrote about it on my blogs using similar superlatives as here lol).
My daughter re-read most of the Jane Austen books this summer after the two of us had a sort of Austen movie fest. There have been lots of fun phrases passed around here as well with our "authentic" accents... especially since we spent several weeks this summer with some British friends. Love, love, love the mug!
Oh dear. There goes my list of requests from the library getting longer again. Seems like every time I pop over here I find something else I must put on it. I just got The Blue Castle yesterday but it's going to have to wait until I finish Neal Stephenson's Anathem and The Prairie Thief. Sigh.
Ellie, yes, it is so beautifully written, isn't it? Surprising that it's her first novel. I loved everything about it.
Sue, just last night, Betsy came to me, glowing with pride: her little sister had just done the Heaven and earth quote. :)
Melanie, you always give me ideas, too. Off to check out Anathem....
Karen, I am loving it. It's over 900 pages and it's flying by. Such a novel of ideas!I feel like I'm way too rusty on my philosophy but I'm loving the story and characters.
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